In late December last year, shipwreck hunters discovered the wreck of the AHS Centaur, an Australian Hospital Ship that was sunk by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland in 1943. Not much is generally known by most Japanese people that I have come across about fighting between the Japanese and Australians during WWII. Some are vaguely aware of Australian involvement in the war, but I haven’t met many people that are aware that the Japanese forces came so close to Australia (including the bombing of Darwin in 1942, still the largest foreign attack on Australian soil, and almost 100 air raids throughout WWII).
The Centaur was converted in early 1943 into a hospital ship, which should have allowed it free passage under the terms of the 1907 Hague Convention. But just months after its conversion to service as a hospital ship it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Only 64 of the 332 people on board survived, and the attack sparked outrage at the time in Australia. The attack was considered a war crime under international conventions, but no one was ever tried for the crime. Part of the reason for this was the difficulty in proving which submarine had actually made the attack. Most believe it to have been the I-177, captained by Nakagawa Hajime, and this was confirmed in the official history of the Japanese navy. Nakagawa died in 1991. The wreck was not found until last month.
Immediately following news of the finding of the wreck, a statement from Australia’s acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard reportedly said:
“The discovery of the AHS Centaur will ensure all Australians know and commemorate the 268 brave nurses and crew who died in the service of their nation.”
$4 million had been set aside for the search, and filming of the wreck has recently begun. Pictures of the underwater ship show clear markings of a large red cross, as dictated by the conventions that should have protected it. There are three main theories as to why the ship may have been attacked. Either the ship was believed to be a legitimate target, the captain had been unaware that the Centaur was a hospital ship, or the Japanese sub had knowingly attacked a protected ship. The two former theories are believed to hold little water, due to the fact that the Centaur was clearly marked and would have been identifiable from the direction in which the attack had come.
Yesterday Queensland’s acting Premier, Paul Lucas said:
“… Whilst the Japanese have certainly apologized for their actions during the Second World War, it would be appropriate for those involved to express an apology… In this barbaric act, people lost their lives. Sailors, soldiers, nurses, doctors, orderlies. It was a totally senseless and wanton act. Terrible things happen in war, but on the scale of things this would have to be amongst the worst.”
I’m not the type to call for apologies at the drop of a hat, but more than apologies I just think that there needs to be a little more recognition and understanding in Japan about some of the things that happened in WWII. Actually, it’s not really a ‘Japan-only’ problem. So many people these days are ignorant of historical perspective. I am certainly not a WWII scholar myself, and there is plenty that I could learn about what went on as well.
Speaking of Japan in particular, since that is what this blog is about, I do feel that there is a general feeling of ‘war is bad’ throughout the population, without anything like a real understanding of just what war IS, or WHY they think it is bad. Nor is there sufficient understanding of crimes committed by Japanese soldiers in the course of wars in the early and mid 20th centuries, when many current Japanese citizens were alive.
I’m not trying to bash Japan, and nor do I agree with the ‘war is bad no matter what’ mantra. But I can certainly understand why someone might say something like that. I hate the idea of war too. But I think there has been far too much painting with a broad brush, and far too few attempts in Japanese society as a whole to really understand war, along with both reasons for and against it. I don’t mind a society deciding that they don’t want anything to do with war, or fighting. If that is their desire, they are welcome to make that decision. But when the decision is made from a position of naivety and ignorance, without having truly debated the ins and outs, this can cause lots of problems.
It’s not like there hasn’t been any debate at all about WWII in particular in Japan, and about the constitution that was given to this country as a result of their capitulation at the end of the war. But I believe that the concept of war and fighting in Japan has become so clinical that it is now devoid of any of the individual acts of barbarism that were a part of the Japanese war experience. Many other countries that have fought and died in wars have had these discussions, about the cost of war, and about some of the horrors that can result. These horrors even apply to a force that may be in the right who are battling to protect a cause that is worthy. Many nations have had this debate, and have decided, on the balance, that some causes are worth the cost – and others are not. I don’t believe that Japan has yet fully satisfied the ‘informed consent’ rule for declaring war out of bounds, or for declaring that it is a possible tool in some circumstances. For me, it’s not a question of apologies. I am far more interested in understanding, recognition, and an informed people that make sound judgments as opposed to emotional reactions…
Sources:
AHS Centaur – Wikipedia
Japanese ’should apologize for Centaur’
Centaur found off coast of QLD
